An ex-logger who Grant County authorities say killed a John Day police officer with a chunk of firewood 21 years ago won't be paroled on Friday after all.

The Oregon Board of Parole and Post-Prison Supervision on Tuesday took the unusual step of cancelling the June 7 release of 53-year-old Sidney Dean Porter. The board will hold a new hearing for Porter in September, Executive Director Jay Scroggin said in a statement.

The reversal came a week after prosecutors, police and lawmakers gathered in Salem to challenge the board's February decision to grant Porter's parole.

Gov. John Kitzhaber's office released a letter he sent Monday to Kristin Winges-Yanez, chair of the parole board, asking members "to vacate your ruling and set a new hearing to determine whether or not Mr. Porter should be released from custody."

The governor said key information has come to light in the past several weeks that could have a bearing on whether or not Porter is a candidate for release.

"The nature and circumstances of the offense he committed, detailed in police and medical examiner reports, were not made available to you and could inform the board about whether or not Mr. Porter has demonstrated the appropriate level of responsibility for his crime," the governor wrote.

Scroggin's statement said that the board decided to re-open the case "after consultation with the Governor's office."

Anthony Steele, a friend of Porter's since childhood, received the news with shock. He believes John Day Police Officer Frank L. Ward died of head injuries suffered when he fell on a wood stove, not from being beaten by Porter. Steele had been planning a barbecue for Porter on his release.

"I just talked to him last night, man," Steele said Tuesday afternoon. "This is beyond horrible. It's going to devastate him. This is just beyond my comprehension how this could happen on this 11th hour like this."

Grant County authorities said the 6-foot-5, 225-pound Porter was intoxicated when he beat Ward to death with his fists and a chunk of firewood on April 8, 1992. Ward was responding to an early morning complaint of loud music at the home.

Porter never went to trial in Ward's death, but pleaded guilty to aggravated murder and was sentenced to life in prison.

When be began to be considered for parole, the case had been almost forgotten outside Grant County, and even Grant County District Attorney Ryan Joslin missed seeing a notice of the exit interview hearing in February and did not attend.

Police chiefs and prosecutors from around the state began a protest that ultimately led to an Oregon House Judiciary Committee hearing May 28. Witnesses at the legislative hearing charged the parole board failed to take into account a mental health evaluation that diagnosed Porter as having an antisocial personality disorder and being at moderate to high risk of reoffending.

Several law enforcement officials also insisted that Porter never adequately expressed remorse or admitted responsiblity for what happened to Ward.

House Judiciary Chairman Jeff Barker, D-Aloha, said Tuesday he was grateful to the board for agreeing to revisit its decision on Porter.

"It seemed like it was going to be such a travesty to let him out," said Barker. "It was a vicious, brutal murder."

Barker said the parole board decided to release Porter without reading the police report or autopsy in the case. Barker said he expects the Legislature to write new rules for the board in its next session. An emphasis will be to make sure the approprite people are informed when a convicted murderer is being considered for release, he said.

Porter had a job waiting on a family-owned ranch near the remote ranching town of Monument.

Someone in Grant County, which is twice the size of Delaware with only 8,000 residents, might still hold a grudge against Porter over Ward's death, Barker said.

"We may be saving his life by keeping him in a little longer," Barker said.